We continue to be amazed at the cruel criminal actions towards animals in our
great county.How can anyone in good
conscience abandon any domesticated companion dog or cat that totally relies on
their care? Too frequently, Paw Pals
receives calls to help find homes for abandoned dog and cats.One must completely understand the
cruel circumstances of pet abandonment since fewer than 80% survive.
They suffer prolonged and painful death
so extreme that the State of Texas felt led in making this criminal action a
Class A Misdemeanor with up to $4,000 and/or one year in jail (upgraded to state
felony with previous convictions—Penal Code 42.09).Pet abandonment fuels pet
overpopulation as the surviving ones seldom are given veterinary care nor are
they sterilized and will proliferate at will.

Imagine the first moments of a dog being abandoned.Imagine the confusion of trying to
catch up with its “much-loved owner” as his or her departing vehicle speeds
away—the irony that just yesterday it was the familiar vehicle that brought home
the owner—an owner that no doubt received unconditional love from this innocent
animal. An abandoned dog will wait in the
same area its “trusted” owner left it. To
further its anxiety, the waiting will be accompanied with the cacophony of
unfamiliar surroundings full of danger—passing automobiles, wild predatory
animals, and the elements. Within days,
starvation and dehydration bring tormenting weakness, agonizing muscle spasms,
and the slow wasting death of starvation.All along, the companion animal remains “loyal” to its irresponsible
owner—a non-deserving appointment. Within
days, without water the lonely dog or cat will die a cruel and unnecessary
death.A county animal shelter is
a necessity to not only harbor unwanted dogs and cats but to become a beacon
for proactive animal control.We as
citizens of this great county can and will end this unacceptable non-existence
of proactive animal control.If you
would like to help with the endeavor, please call Hill County Paw Pals at (254)
580-0679 or email hcpawpals@yahoo.com,
or visit www.helphillcountyanimals.com.